Heros: The Education of Mr Riley
by Aeryn's Tales
Summary: The third episode of the Heros series. This takes place right from where Choices leaves off. The gang investigate the men who have been "watching" Connor, as well as continuing to get to know each other.
1. Chapter One

**_As a disclaimer: Aeryn Tales is not affiliated with FOX, The WB, Paramount, or any of the agencies that may be mentioned here. I do not make any money off of any of the characters, plots, or other items mentioned._  
**  
**Heros: The Education of Mr. Riley**  
  
_Secrets collecting dust  
but never forget  
Skeletons come to  
life in my closet  
I found out what it takes  
to be a man  
Mom and Dad will never  
understand  
What's happening to me  
-Green Day "Coming Clean"  
_  
**Chapter One  
**  
The streets were quiet at one am on a Wednesday. Whoever had not gone to bed, was now stumbling home for the bars to do just that. Spike and Layla walked these quiet streets looking for their quarry. 'Correction,' Spike thought. 'I am looking for the geek squad, she is looking at the stars and pot holes.' Spike, again, wondered why he chose to go on this search with her, and not Gunn.  
  
Layla had taken them directly into the center of town. They had, for a lack of a better word, phased into the ally next to the Pizza place they had gone to the night before. He had stood there for a moment shaking off the effects. It felt like being torn apart and put back together, but with a pleasurable chill. It was a very odd feeling. Then, he noticed he was still holding her hand. He quickly and, as a result, awkwardly yanked his hand away, and stalked off into the street. Layla on her part just looked at him awkwardly in return, but then, for a brief moment, looked at bit annoyed when he took his hand back.  
  
Spike slowed his pace to allow her to catch up, and lit a cigarette. However, he seemed intent on not being too physically close to her. And that was how they had been for the last hour. Searching, but not finding anything, and not walking too close. Now, he was starting to wonder if they would ever find anything.  
  
Then, something found them. Spike knew right off what it was, by the scent and the way they moved. 'Vampires,' he thought. "Damn!" he whispered aloud. Layla's head snapped back from the telephone pole she was contemplating. She regarded them with interest as they walked up to a young man who was drunkenly walking home.  
  
"Stay here!" Spike ordered, and ran down the sidewalk to where the gang of five was starting to surround the man.  
  
Layla looked at his back with a very annoyed expression on her face, and phased out. Spike skidded to a stop to find her already ahead of him. She stood next to the young man, and smiled at the group of vampires. They backed up quickly; instinctively knowing something was wrong. She turned to the young man, put her fingers to her lips, and then placed her palm on his head. He smiled, and dropped to the ground unconscious. The vampires watched dumbfounded.  
  
Spike took full advantage of the moment, and quickly staked the first one. This brought the other four out of their stupor quickly. Two others turned, and ran at him. The other two turned to Layla. "You'll pay for that Bitch," a blond haired female dressed as a goth growled. Layla looked at her, her expression almost childlike. "This will be too easy," the other, a dark haired male, stated with a grin.  
  
The female moved quickly, but Layla was quicker. As the vampire's fist came toward her, she reached out her own, and grabbed it. The vampire howled in pain, as Layla's eyes hardened, and her hand ground the bones to dust. The male rushed her, but to no avail. Layla reached out her other hand, and grabbed him by the throat. He turned to dust as she squeezed his neck to meal, effectively decapitating him. She didn't even look at him for the brief moment it took her to accomplish it. Her eyes glinted silver as she tossed the female into the wires of the telephone poll, that only a moment ago she had studied so closely.  
  
Spike staked his last vampire, and looked up just in time to see what Layla had done. The female screamed as 3000 volts of electricity burned her to ash.  
  
Layla shook her head, and turned her attention to the man on the pavement. She picked him up, and carried him to a nearby bench. "He will recover shortly," she whispered. She waved a hand slowly over his head, and looked at Spike. "And remember nothing of this encounter." She stood, and walked over to Spike, who was looking like he just got hit with a Mac truck. "Are you well?" she said with concern, and place a hand on his arm. A hand, he thought to himself, which a moment ago, had ripped vampires apart like paper, but was now extremely gentle and soft.  
  
Spike jumped a little at the touch, and looked at her hand. However, when he looked up it was with a more humble respect. He had taken her for a naïve, peace-child, and forgotten who she was and where she came from.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." He took her hand, and gave it a squeeze. She blushed and let go. "You're stronger than you look Angel Toes."  
  
He smiled, and waved ahead of them. "Shall we?"  
  
She smiled back.

* * *

Connor and Illyria had picked up the trail in the graveyard. It had been where they had last seen Bartleby, so it seemed the logical place to start. Connor moved quickly, stopping every few minutes to confirm the direction. Illyria kept pace behind him, keeping watch for potential threats. She watched him as he moved with the grace of a cat, and approved of the boy's skill. It seemed the training of his past life had indeed returned, and this would be a great asset to them should their quarry prove unwilling to cooperate.  
  
So far, neither had spoken to the other since leaving the car back at the graveyard. Illyria did not mind this for she found humans more vocal than necessary. In her opinion, a warrior must be silent and ever vigil for threats.  
  
They managed to follow the trail to outside the city limits, into a residential neighborhood. Connor stopped, and sat on the edge of the sidewalk to take a breather and get his bearings. He looked up at his companion. She looked a lot different from when he had first met her. Her hair was less blue, her eyes were not so alien, and she wore normal clothing. She looked less like an ancient demon, and more like a normal woman with a leaning toward a punkish look. It was her body language that betrayed her as something other than human. It was jerky, like a bird, and stiff. There was, apart from the obvious physical resemblance, nothing that reminded him of Fred. Those memories had been hard to reconcile at first. He remembered the quiet yet resolute physicist, and it was only when he had gotten home that it had clicked that Illyria and Fred bore more than a passing resemblance. No one had come out and said it, but he knew that something had happened to Fred, and Illyria had been that something.  
  
Illyria sensed his examination, and turned toward him. "There is something that troubles you? "she asked him, not unkindly.  
  
Connor looked at his shoes, a bit embarrassed to be caught out so, but he looked her in the eye a moment later. "You were Fred, weren't you? I mean, something happened to Fred, and now you're in there."  
  
Illyria sighed, and crouched down in front of him so her face was but inches away. "This shell...this body once belonged to Winifred Burkle. The process in which I returned to this world killed her. It was not my intention for this to happen." She looked down for a moment. "I will not apologize for actions that were not my own. However," she looked back up into his eyes, "I am sorry that she and others were injured by it. She must have been a ...remarkable person to have encouraged the loyalty of so many." She stood, and moved a few paces away from him. She looked down the street, but Connor felt she was looking much farther away than that. "I have learned much since my awakening. I have learned the value of human strength. You are small and weak, but you endure so much. It is confusing, yet commendable."  
  
Connor stood, and stretched. He felt no blame toward the demon at all. The memories of a woman he had known in another life, seemed far away at this point compared to what had happened and was happening now. "Well, as long as you don't taser me, we'll get along fine." He said with a smile, and started walking down the street.  
  
Illyria looked at him oddly for a moment, and then with a slight smile on her lips, she followed him.

* * *

**Author's note: I would like to thank everyone for their kind reviews, and hope this next episode in the saga brings answers to your questions, and new questions for you to answer...**

**Enjoy the show!**


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two  
**  
Gunn was seriously feeling the need to pee. He had drunk about five cups of coffee during the last hour, and the only thing keeping him in the living room was the fact the phone was due to ring again in two minutes. Laurence walked in from the kitchen, and sent him on his way post haste. He got back to the living room just in time to grab the first call.  
  
"Hey Connor," he said a little out of breath. "Ok, so outside town huh? The suburbs? Man, they _are_ hiding in plain sight. Corner of Brentwood and St. John. Got it. I'll let Spike know." Gunn hung up, and smiled at Laurence. "Looks like they got a lead...or at least a vicinity."  
  
Laurence nodded, and drank his seventh cup of coffee.

* * *

Spike called to check in not long later, and Gunn relayed the information Connor had passed on. "Right," Spike answered. "If he calls again tell him we'll meet him there in a couple of minutes." He hung up the phone, and turned to Layla. "Hear that, Pet. We get to go to the suburbs. Or as I refer to it, Hell on earth."  
  
Spike looked around to see if anyone was coming. There was no one about; the streets calm and quiet. He stuck out his hand gingerly. "Ok, time to do that thing you do." Layla looked at him with amusement, and took his hand in her own. Spike felt the familiar jolt, and the dizzying feeling of moving through space. Then the ground was once again underneath his feet, and the familiar feeling of nausea abated. "I don't know how you do that," he gasped, bending over. "Feels like my guts are being ripped out."  
  
Layla raised an eyebrow. "Well, I have to convert you to energy, and move you from location A to location B. Then reassemble you to a physical state. So in essence your guts are being ripped apart." He shot her an irritated, 'why didn't you tell me that before' look. She moved over to him, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You will become used to it in time."  
  
Spike gave her a baleful look. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." He shook his head to clear away more cobwebs, and stood up. "Let's go find the others," he said, trying to ignore the little flip flops his stomach was still making. "I think Gunn said they were going up St. John." He started walking down the street.  
  
Layla nodded, and followed. She again mused to herself how one being could be so complex. He had asked her to transport them here, but then complained about it. Would she ever understand these mortals? 'They say one thing and mean another,' she thought to herself, 'it is most confusing!'  
  
It didn't take them long to catch up to Connor and Illyria. The boy and the demon had staked out a non-descript house at the end of dead end road, and already had done a quick reconnaissance of the exterior. Oddly, they had found nothing. 'This can't be good,' Connor thought to himself. He had a sneaking suspicion they had arrived too late.  
  
Spike contacted Gunn quickly to let him know that they had all met up, and would have more news soon. Then, he looked at the house. His instincts told him their quarry was long gone, but best to remain cautious. He looked at Illyria. "You take the back," he said. "Make sure no one gets out that way." Illyria nodded, and walked off. "Layla, you take the front. Knock on the front door, pretend you're lost or something." Layla nodded, but didn't move. "Connor, you and I will take the sides, and try to sneak in quiet like."  
  
Connor looked at him slightly puzzled, "I thought you can't enter a house without being invited."  
  
Spike nodded, "I can't. But I am betting that this is not where they live, and that makes it fair game." Then he shrugged. "But if I'm wrong, then I can at least keep the buggers from getting too far on the outside."  
  
Connor nodded, and the three got up and took their positions. Layla knocked on the door, but found it swung open on her touch. She entered cautiously, and peered around the corner into a large room. It was empty; absolutely empty. No chairs, desks, rugs....there was nothing there. She quickly checked the other rooms to find similar results. Entering the kitchen, which was also spotless, she went directly to the back door, and let Illyria in. "It's empty. There is no one here," she informed the demon. "Tell the others, I'm going to check out the upstairs," Illyria nodded, and disappeared back outside.  
  
Layla carefully went up the stairs to the second floor. She checked each room, to find it spotless and empty. However, the last room was different. There was a desk there, with a small, rectangular object on it. She walked in, and took the item off the desk. There was a note attached, addressed to Connor. Spike walked into the room, and looked at her.  
  
"Whatcha got there?" he said indicating the object in her hands. Layla turned and handed it over. He sighed. "They bloody well knew we were coming. Damn it!" He kicked the wall angrily.  
  
Connor was the next to arrive in the room. "What's going on? I could hear you cursing from the bottom of the stairs."  
  
Spike handed him the object. "It's a bloody video tape, and addressed to you no less."  
  
Connor swore under his breath. "Great! All that for nothing!"  
  
Layla watched the two angry men, puzzled. "Perhaps we should return to Connor's home, so he can find out what is the significance of that object."  
  
Connor nodded, still very upset, and walked out the door. His feet echoed through the house as he walked down the stairs. Layla turned to Spike who was looking like he wanted to tear something apart.  
  
"The arrogance of these blighters," he raged. "They stalk some poor kid, and make what one could interpret as a threat, and then just take off! The bastards!" He smashed his fists on the desk. "It's like some bloody covert military operation, only better!"  
  
Layla stood back, and let him rage for a few minutes, then walked over to him. He was in such a rage he didn't see her kiss her fingers, and place her palm to his head. "Shh," she said, and caught him easily as he fell unconscious.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**  
  
When Spike awoke he was lying on the back seat of Connor's car. The radio was on some Brittany Spears song, which further proved to Spike Connor was Angel's son. The bad taste in music must be genetic. He groaned as he sat up. "What happened?" he asked groggily.  
  
"You were displaying extreme amounts of anger at a wall, and Layla incapacitated you," Illyria stated not looking at him.  
  
Connor grinned. "She means you lost you temper, and Layla made you go night night."  
  
"I believe I stated that already."  
  
"Yup, but I said it more flowingly."  
  
"You two are a double act, anyone ever tell you that?" Spike grumbled. 'When I get my hands on Miss Wings...' he thought. "Where are we?" is what he asked aloud.  
  
"Almost home," Connor replied. "I want to view this tape, and find out what these assholes think they're up to." His face pulled into an angry scowl.  
  
Spike looked at him, his eyes widening slightly. 'My god, he's a blooming mirror image of him!' he thought to himself. Illyria had noticed it too, and was staring at him like she had seen a ghost. Connor caught her looking out of the corner of his eye. "What?" he said worriedly.  
  
"It is nothing," she whispered. "You look much like ..."  
  
"Angel," Spike finished.  
  
Connor blushed, and gave a sheepish smile. "I've been told the sneer is genetic." He then turned his attention back to the road. Within a couple of minutes, they had pulled into the driveway.

* * *

Layla had arrived at the Riley's home before the others. Gunn had nearly fallen off his chair, and Laurence almost dropped his coffee mug, when she phased in front of them. Colleen had jumped into the air, as Layla spoke from behind her. "We were unsuccessful. The men watching your son had already abandoned their dwelling."  
  
"Jeeze girl!" Gunn exclaimed at her appearance. "You need to let a brother know when you are about to do that. I think I just lost another five years."  
  
Colleen looked at her worriedly. "Unsuccessful? Are they ok?"  
  
Layla nodded. "Everyone is fine, and are returning as we speak." She turned to Gunn, ignoring his previous comment, "The place was completely empty. The only item remaining was a small, black box with Connor's name on it. This made them very angry, but I am unclear what this box is."  
  
"It's a video tape," Connor said as he came through the door. He pulled it out of his pocket, and headed for the VCR. Spike and Illyria followed him inside, and the former shot Layla an extremely irritated look. She looked back at him coolly, but didn't say a word.  
  
Everyone sat down, and the air stilled as the image of a middle-aged man filled the screen.  
  
"Hello, Connor. Congratulations on finding our headquarters, but as you see around you, we have long left. It pains me that you did not accept our associate's invitation to join us. Your talents could have come in very useful. Times are shifting and changing Boy. Be careful you are not swept aside with the tide." The man paused, got up from his desk, and walked over to the camera. "Bartleby tells me that you think you are not a slayer. And sadly, I do have to agree with your assessment. He also tells me you keep company with some interesting friends; it seems a particular one of the blue variety. Yes...we know all about (the man looked down at a file on the desk)...Illyria; fascinating being that she is. It really is a shame you did not join with us. We could have offered you so much. Now you will be alone to face...well...that doesn't matter." The man waved his hand in dismissal, and walked back to his desk. "Protect yourself Connor, for now no one else will."  
  
The screen went black.  
  
Everyone seemed to take a collective breath. Connor looked furious, and Illyria was enraged to the point of violence. Layla just shook her head sadly, and Gunn sat back in his chair trying to process what had just been said. Spike got up, and stormed outside.  
  
Laurence took his wife's hand, and looked at his son. "Connor, what's going on? I mean, it's good that they're gone, but what are they talking about. Why would you need protecting?"  
  
Connor looked at them, the anger on his face still evident. "Just empty threats, Dad. They can't get me in their little club, so they're going to try to scare me in." He turned, and looked at the black TV screen. "But it's not going to work. I don't care if I'm alone. They won't intimidate me. Hell, I've faced worse than them."  
  
Colleen let go of her husband's hand, and walked over to her son. She pulled him into a hug, and whispered in his ear, "You will never...and I mean never...be alone." She pulled back, and took his head in her hands. "You are our son, and we will always be here for you. You are NOT alone." Tears poured down her face. Laurence got up, and hugged them both.  
  
Gunn stood up, and looked at the parents desperately trying to reassure their son. "They're right Connor, you are not alone," he said resolutely. Everyone turned to look at him, including Spike who had returned, and was standing in the doorway. "'Cause now you have got us covering your back as well." 


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**  
  
Connor didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Gunn's statement. He felt a surge of gratitude, yet also a bit of sorrow; and for the life of him he didn't know why. He just knew at this moment, he too physically and emotionally exhausted to form any sort of rational thought. He gave his parents another squeeze, and, after disentangling himself from them, he walked over to Gunn and shook his hand. To many in the room it looked like some sort of pact had been formed; a bond created. Then, after nodding gratefully to the group, he trudged up the stairs to bed.  
  
Colleen wiped her eyes, and looked at the group. They were an extraordinary bunch. The young man who had stayed with them looked like he had seen better days. When she had asked him what he had done at Wolfram and Hart, he muttered something about being a lawyer. To be honest, she would never have guessed that. He looked way too young, but upon closer inspection she could see that something had aged him more internally. He looked twenty going on forty.  
  
Then, there was the lady with the blue streaked hair. Illyria? Yes, that was her name. She looked young on the outside as well (not as young as Gunn, but young), but when she spoke ...it was like something ...well, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was like she was not comfortable in her own skin. She compared her to the other woman who had appeared in the middle of their living room out of thin air. She looked in her mid- twenties, but had a wisdom that was not akin to her outward appearance. Colleen averted her eyes, when she noticed Layla was looking right at her. No, that wasn't right. She was looking into her. It was a bit unnerving, but comforting at the same time; like she wasn't wasting time with the coating but going for the soft chewy center. Layla gave her a small smile, and went outside. Probably looking for the other man, Spike, she thought.  
  
Now there was another odd character. She remembered him briefly from their LA visit. He had been rather ...what was the word...childish? No, that wasn't right. He had burst in on their meeting with Angel, yelling about blue birds and clipboards. Then had just as quickly left in a huff. Now he was different. She still sensed a bit of turbulence under the surface, but tighter controlled. It was like something made him grow up fast, and forced him into a role he did not want but had no choice in. She sighed. "It's getting rather late, can I offer anyone a place to stay for the night?"  
  
Gunn had already fallen asleep on the couch. Illyria went over, and covered him with a blanket that had been laid on the back of it. She looked back at Colleen.  
  
"That would be acceptable."  
  
Laurence nodded, and looked at his wife. "Well, we have a guest room, and our daughters are out for the night, so their rooms are free too. But since your friend is comfortable on the couch..." He stopped as Illyria reached down, and lifted Gunn off the sofa as if he was nothing.  
  
"Show me this guest room," she stated.  
  
Laurence gulped, but Colleen had seen enough strange things tonight and took no outward notice. She pointed to the stairs. "Follow me," she said, and walked up the stairs. Illyria followed, carefully carrying Gunn. Laurence shook his head in awe, but decided not to try and analyze it. He went to the door to let the other two know what was going on, but saw they were deep into an argument. So he left them a note on the table, and went to bed.

* * *

Spike didn't turn when he heard footsteps behind him. He knew who it was, and really at this moment it was the last person he wanted to talk to. He leaned against the truck, and concentrated on his cigarette.  
  
Layla just looked at him for what seemed an eternity. 'Just go away!' he thought to himself. 'Why aren't you going away!?'  
  
"You're angry with me," was all she said. That did it. His head snapped up, and glared at her.  
  
"Of course I am bloody well angry at you! You...You..."  
  
"Put you to sleep?"  
  
"Yes! You messed with...you messed with my head! You bloody well had no right!"  
  
Layla just regarded him coolly. "You had lost control over your emotions. Your anger was not helping anyone, least of all yourself. You needed to take a break, and calm down."  
  
"Well didn't work did it? Do I look bloody well calmed down?"  
  
She didn't say anything, but he could tell she was getting irritated.  
  
"I'll tell you what I am. I'm fucking furious! I get angry, Layla. People get angry. They deal with it. _I_ deal with it mostly by hitting things. But it's _my_ right to deal with it as I choose. You can't put people to sleep because it starts to bother you."  
  
She stiffened, and he knew he had struck a nerve. Realization hit him rather blindingly.  
  
"It bothered you didn't it. It bothered you to see anger."  
  
She turned, and started to walk off. 'She angry,' he thought to himself. He could see it in every part of her body; her back and muscles were tensed, her head held up just a bit too high. He ran up to her, grabbed her arm, and spun her around. Her eyes glared at him; they looked grey in the moonlight. He decided to press his advantage, even though every instinct was telling him to back off.  
  
"You said before, there is no passion up there," he motioned with his head to the sky. "You saw me angry, and couldn't handle it. So you decided to make it go away. You're angry now, and it's eating you up." That did it. She shoved him off, and he went flying across the driveway. She stalked over to him, and lifted him off the ground.  
  
"Temper, temper," he admonished breathlessly. She tensed, blinked, and dropped him to the ground. She stalked off, but halfway to the house she turned and came back.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" it came out somewhere between a growl and a sob. "What is it about you that makes me feel this...furious!" she gasped, grasping on his former choice of word. Spike looked up at her from the driveway. The smirk that was on his face, disappeared when he saw the tears roll down her cheeks. "Your words are like arrows. They make me feel..." she shook her head not finishing her thought. "I don't like this feeling. It's too strong. It hurts." She wrapped her arms around her stomach.  
  
Spike stood up. He suddenly didn't know what to say, all the anger directed at her melted away. He took her hands, and looked at her sympathetically. "It'll fade, pet. Funny thing with emotions, they can tear you up inside one minute, but make you feel on top of the world the next."  
  
Layla looked at him like she didn't believe him, but she didn't complain when he put his arm around her, and started to lead her back to the house. "Are you still angry with me?" she asked timidly.  
  
"Nah," he said. "This was what you call an argument, which you should get used to by the way if you are going to be sticking around me. Now it's over." He stopped, and looked down at her. "Are you still angry?" She noticed he sounded a bit nervous.  
  
"No....but I feel odd...drained." She leaned more into his arm.  
  
Spike grinned. "So you do get tired! Come on, let see if we can scare up a bed for you." He led her into the house.

* * *

**Author's note: I would just like to say a quick thank you to everyone for your kind reviews. I cherish each and every one. :)**

**Also on a related note...we now have a theme song for this series: Awakening by Damning Well. I recommend it heartily and imagine opening credits rolling with it. :)**


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**  
  
The boy dreamed. Dreamed of places and faces he should not remember. Dreamed of times and places that frightened and fascinated him. Above all he dreamed of a battle in a rain soaked alleyway. He watched as four people fought against an army of thousands with no hope of survival. He watched as a giant ogre drove a sword through his father, and then sliced his head from his body, turning him to ash. Then the alley changed. It warped and twisted into another alley. There were three people there. A brown haired young woman was kneeling in a puddle, and a dark haired man was trying to hold a very pregnant blond haired woman up.  
  
He stepped closer, straining to hear them speak.  
  
"This baby is the one good thing we ever did together."  
  
The man was crying. His tears mixed with the rain, and Connor could smell the salt. The brown haired woman was looking unsure and rather helpless what to do. Something was wrong. Why was the pregnant woman grabbing a stake?  
  
"Be sure you tell him that."  
  
Connor staggered backwards as she drove it into her chest, melting away into dust. The man looked stunned and heartbroken, but something got his attention. The baby had lived. He was screaming in the rain. The man reached, and hesitantly picked him up. The brown haired woman gave him something to wrap him with. The man clutched the crying baby to his chest protectively as he stood. Then the fire came, and another man with a crossbow.  
  
The alley shifted again and changed, but he couldn't see where he was. He could feel a presence behind him. He turned, poised to face whoever it was. Only to see...himself? It was a scruffier, longer haired version of him, but what caught Connor's attention were the boy's eyes. They were cold and dead. It was like someone had ripped out his soul and left behind a shell. The eyes were fixed on him. "Why do you deny me? Why do you deny who you are?" he whispered.  
  
Connor woke with a jolt, only to find himself with in his room and in his bed. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, but he felt no joy. There was only the cold realization that his life as he knew it was over.

* * *

Spike awoke to find himself on the floor in a room covered in pink rose wallpaper. Then, after blinking several times, remembered he was in Connor's sister's room. He sat up, and rubbed his back groaning, "Bloody floor." He looked over at the reason he had spent the night on the floor. Layla lay curled up on the bed with her eyes closed, and breathing softly. She looked as peaceful as a baby, with no trace of the fury that had taken hold of her the night before. In fact, Spike thought to himself, she never looked more serene. A strand of chestnut hair had fallen over her face, and he absent-mindedly brushed it back in place. 'She really is lovely,' he thought. Then once again chastised himself for thinking that way.  
  
Deciding to go find the others, he stood, and quietly left the room. He walked down a hall covered with pictures of Connor's happy family, and peaked in the first room. Gunn was snoring on the bed mumbling about not singing. Spike shook his head with amusement, and headed downstairs to look for Illyria. She was not hard to find. The sun glinted off her blue hair as she sat in the garden with her eyes closed, striving to hear the song of the green. He tapped on the window, and her eyes snapped open instantly turning toward him. She rose in a graceful move, and came inside.  
  
"You have awakened."  
  
"Yeah," he nodded to the garden, "So how are the rose bushes this morning?"  
  
"It is after the noon hour," she corrected. Then looking toward the garden herself, she frowned sadly. "The song of the green continues to elude my ears."  
  
"Sorry to hear that pet. Guess everyone's still sleeping."  
  
"Some. The elder Rileys rose a short time ago, and went to the...grocery store." She looked at Spike with puzzlement over the location. Finding no answer, she continued, "Connor and Gunn are still unconscious as well." She stopped, and regarded Spike, with what he assumed was amusement. "Is Layla still sleeping as well?"  
  
Spike wandered over to the couch, and sat down. "Yeah, bird finally got tired." Then rolled his eyes, when he saw Illyria's eyebrow go up. He waved his hand in dismissal. "It's not what you think. She lost her temper last night, and I guess getting angry wore her out."  
  
Illyria looked thoughtful. "Yes, human emotions are draining. They are uncomfortable and obnoxious."  
  
Spike grinned. Those two were very similar, and yet so very different. Both women did not feel comfortable when emotions were expressed in their presence, but for different reasons. Illyria found them distasteful, while Layla found them simply uncomprehendable. He suspected both also found them frightening, but he would never tell Illyria that. 'She'd rip my bloody head off,' he thought.  
  
Instead, Spike pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket. "Say Blue, do you know how to play snap?"  
  
Illyria looked at him blankly.

* * *

Connor crawled out of bed, and dragged himself into the shower. He could hear Spike and Illyria talking downstairs, but ignored them. He turned the water on, and stepped into the steamy waterfall. He tried to let himself go, and feel nothing but the liquid on his skin. The droplets tapped to the floor like raindrops, sending him back to his dream of the alley; to his parents. Awake, he knew who they were...Angel and Darla...and Fred? He hadn't known she had been there, and honestly right now, he didn't care. He started to scrub himself with a loofa, rubbing so hard his skin burned and went pink. Tears formed and ran down his cheeks, but he kept scrubbing until he just collapsed to the floor sobbing.  
  
They had loved him. He knew that now. His mother had loved him. _The one good thing we ever did together._ His father had loved him. The way he had wrapped him up, and held him to his chest...like nothing was ever going to let him go. But what stuck in Connor's mind most of all was the look of pure venom and hate in Holtz's face. At last after all these years, he understood; understood the monster that man had been.  
  
He knew nothing could change what had happened. The damage of Holtz's revenge had been done, but he had gone on clothed in a cloak of ignorance. A cloak that had been cruelly been ripped away two months ago.  
  
Connor pulled himself to his feet, and stepped out of the shower. Drying himself, he caught his reflection in the mirror. _Why do you deny me?_ It whispered back. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. In that moment, the truth of his life hit him like a ton of bricks. He couldn't lie himself anymore. He couldn't deny who he was and where he came from. He was Connor the college student, son of Laurence and Colleen of San Matteo, but he was also Connor the Destroyer, son of Angel and Darla. Acceptance flowed through his body. It was time to stop pretending.  
  
He stared into his reflection's eyes. "But what do I tell Mom and Dad?"


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**  
  
Colleen and Laurence returned to find Spike cursing his luck, and Illyria looking rather smug.  
  
"I thought you said you'd never played cards before?" Spike said suspiciously.  
  
"I have not. The concept though is very simplistic. The lowly beings of this world could only have devised such a game." She lay down the last card. "You have been successfully conquered half-breed." She sat back on the couch with a patronizing grin.  
  
"Bloody hell, Blue!" Spike cursed, and threw the cards onto the table. He sat back in his chair with a giant scowl.  
  
"I see you both have been keeping busy," Colleen said with an admonishing look at Spike. Laurence grinned behind his bags, and walked briskly into the kitchen. Colleen followed, "Oh and Spike? Language."  
  
Spike looked momentarily chastised, then seeing Illyria's smile widen, his scowl deepened. "Watch it, Blue," he growled.

* * *

Layla awoke slowly. She felt very odd. Her perceptions were all blurry and disjointed. She wondered if she should call for help, but slowly the foggy feeling lifted and the room became clearer. 'Is this waking up?' she thought to herself. She wasn't sure she liked it. Slowly she crawled out of the bed, and made her way into the hallway. She could hear Spike and Illyria arguing about something, and shook her head. Then wished she hadn't, and grabbed the wall to steady herself. The room spun around and wouldn't stay still, no matter how much she prayed it would.  
  
"Are you ok?" Connor asked, coming out of his room.  
  
"I feel a bit...dizzy," Layla replied. "I do not think I have fully come out of a sleeping state yet."  
  
She looked at the boy. He looked older than he did yesterday, as if saddled with a heavy burden, or perhaps a clarity he did not have before. However, at her words the heaviness lifted for a moment, and he smiled.  
  
"You mean you haven't woken up fully yet."  
  
"Yes, I believe that's what I meant," she agreed.  
  
Connor took her arm, and held her up till the last of the fog lifted from her mind. She smiled at him in gratitude. "I hope I get used to this," she said sheepishly. "I can't imagine having to go through that every morning. It's not pleasant."  
  
Connor nodded. "It will. So you're not from around here then?" Layla shook her head. "I kinda thought so," he said. "Can you manage now?" She nodded, and he gestured down the stairs. "Mom and Dad are probably waiting for us." He looked rather reluctant to go down the stairs. She squeezed his hand in support, and walked down to join the others.

* * *

Spike had been thinking of something very clever to knock that smile off Illyria's face with little success, when he saw Layla come down the stairs. His scowl softened, and wondered how anyone could look less like they just rolled out of bed. "How'd you sleep?" was all he said.  
  
"Fine, I think," she said taking a seat next to Illyria on the couch. "I'm not sure really...I've never done it before." She yawned, the looked at bit horrified. "What was that?"  
  
"You yawned, Pet. Don't worry; everyone does it after they've slept as long as you."  
  
Layla did not look convinced, but decided to change the subject to something a little less personal. "So what were the two of you arguing about?"  
  
Spike scowled again.

* * *

Connor was sitting in his room when there was a knock on his door, followed by a dark, bald head.  
  
"S'up?" Connor asked. Gunn looked around the bedroom.  
  
"Nothing. Just got up, and came to see how you were doing after last night." He walked over to a chair by Connor's computer, and sat down. "You ok? Cuz you look like you've been hit by a Mac truck."  
  
Connor smiled a little, at Gunn's comment. "No...and yes. I've been doing a lot of thinking...about my life, or should I say lives?" He got up, and started pacing. "Ever since I found out about what really happened, it's been like I've been living two lives. By day this life, the college student who gets good grades, has a family that loves him, and is...normal. But at night, I have found myself going out...hunting." He took a deep breath, and looked solemnly at Gunn, as the other man's eyebrow went up. "When I went out, it was like something caged inside of me was being let loose." He started pacing again. "I thought I was going crazy. Then all this happened, and oddly for once I feel like I'm not losing it. If those nut jobs did anything, they showed me I couldn't keep hiding with my head in the sand anymore. I know who I am now, and they were right...no one else can protect me, but maybe I can protect others from people like them."  
  
"So, what are you saying?" Gunn asked a bit taken back. Was this the same kid they ran into two days ago? The young man before him was no kid anymore, and Gunn saw Angel's fierce determination in his eyes. 'He's his father's son,' he thought. 'Angel would be real proud.'  
  
Connor stopped, and looked at him again, his face set. "I want to come with you. I finally understand what my father was always trying to tell me. I can't sit on the sidelines anymore. I have to do this. I need to do this."  
  
Gunn could feel the young man's sincerity and the force of his will. He couldn't say he was wrong in his decision either.  
  
He got up, and took Connor's hand. "Welcome to the team."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven  
**  
Layla watched Spike as he got up and went out to the porch to have a smoke. "Is it something I said?" she asked Illyria, the puzzlement very evident on her face. Illyria looked at the other woman with interest.  
  
"You have said nothing that would cause anger. He has been dealt a mighty blow by my hand in the war of cards. He does not accept the loss well."  
  
"Oh...I noticed that too. He is very emotional." Layla smiled a little, and then frowned. "It's so foreign to observe such things, and very disturbing to experience it for oneself." She looked at Illyria. "I have come here to learn, but did not think it would be this difficult. It is very chaotic here. Their emotions hit me like waves. I fear one day I may be pulled under." She looked at Spike again as he smoked for a moment, then turned to Illyria. There was a look of understanding on the demon's face.  
  
"I too have observed this. It was offensive to my senses when I arrived in this world." She seemed to look into the distance for a moment. "I have since learned that though they may pull at you like the winds of a storm, they do serve their purpose. They have much to teach those who would listen."  
  
Layla opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped as Connor and Gunn came down the stairs.  
  
Connor walked straight into the kitchen, while Gunn sat down in an armchair. Illyria rose to follow Connor, but caught Gunn's look and sat back down.  
  
"The boy is in pain. It curls off him like smoke. His fear courses through the earth."  
  
"I know Illyria," Gunn said with a sigh. "But this is something he has to do."  
  
Layla looked like she was listening and seeing something very far away. "Charles is right, Connor has reached a crossroads; the path is one only he can choose. He will need your support and friendship, but this is something he must do alone." She turned her eyes toward the window, and looked out into the evening sky.

* * *

Connor walked into the kitchen, and for a moment as he watched his parents, and felt his resolve weaken. 'How do I tell them?' he thought. 'How do I tell them I am not their son.' He closed his eyes, and gathered his strength. When he opened them, he saw his mother looking at him with concern. "Connor, what's the matter honey?"  
  
Steeling himself inside, "Mom, Dad, we have to talk."

* * *

Spike knew he was being watched. But there wasn't very far he could go on this porch without being flash fried. True, the sun was starting to set, but there was quite enough light still to make his existence very unpleasant. He also knew it was Layla watching him. He could hear the gears turn in her head as she tried to figure him out. He smirked as he took a long drag. He knew she was failing miserably at it. 'Angel Toes isn't used to blokes like me,' he thought. 'She's used to order and reason. Bloody hell, I must be driving her batty!' He took another drag, and leaned against the wall. He had to admit it though, it gave him a little thrill when she looked at him like that, or the simple knowledge that he could affect her so.  
  
He snuck a look back, and saw she was talking to Charlie and Blue. He wondered about what. 'I should probably go back in there,' he thought, but found himself looking into the tree line. He had never been one to dwell upon the past, yet he found his thoughts looking at the past year and beyond; at all the choices he made and roads he had taken. Everything he had ever done had led him here to this moment, to this porch, to this cigarette, and those pair of blue-grey eyes that were once again burning a hole in his back and peering into his very soul. 'I wish she'd bloody well cut that out!' he thought to himself; but then realized he didn't want that at all, and that was even more disconcerting.

* * *

Connor took a deep breath, and looked at the extremely stunned faces of his parents. His mother looked like she'd been run over by a bus, while his father looked quietly floored. He had told them everything; about who he was, where he came from, what Angel had done, and how he'd remembered.  
  
"Mom. Dad. I am so sorry..." but found he had no more words. He just sat there at the kitchen table.  
  
Colleen looked at him. "But I remember...everything...the day you were born, your first step...the day you got lost at the department store..."  
  
"I know," the young man replied in a whisper. "I remember it too."  
  
Laurence looked up, his eyes were miserable. "How long have you been carrying this inside you?"  
  
"About two months, since we left Wolfram and Hart. I wanted to tell you." His words came out in a rush. "But I didn't know how. I didn't even understand everything yet. It was like someone turned a tap on in my head, and then it just kept filling and filling." He got up and started pacing. "I was remembering faces and places, hell even situations I should never even known about. I just knew it was the truth. Just like I know that everything with you is the truth too."  
  
Colleen got up, as her son's pacing grew more frantic and distressed. "Connor, stop, slow down." She took his face in her hands. He looked like he was going to cry. Her heart ached, but she knew what he was telling her was the truth. Mother's intuition, she guessed. Just like created or not, he was their son. Everything screamed it inside of her.  
  
"Do you want me to go?" he whispered. He had never looked so defeated and so helpless.  
  
"What?! No!" She hugged her son with all her strength. "Connor, I don't care ...what I mean is YOU are my son. Memories or no. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you, and will love you till I breathe my last." She looked over at her husband, who nodded.  
  
"Your mother's right. I don't fully understand everything you've told me, but every fiber of my being is telling me you are my son. That is never going to change. I guess it just means your...well...adopted."  
  
Connor smiled a little at that. "Adopted huh? I guess that fits, in an entirely bizarre way."  
  
Colleen finally let go of her son, and sat him down in a chair. She looked a bit awkward. "Um, Honey, can I ask you a question?"  
  
Connor nodded.  
  
"Um...well, your friends out there...they're not all human are they."  
  
Out in the living room, Gunn looked at the clock on the mantle. "They sure have been in there a long time."  
  
Illyria said nothing. Layla closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "There," she whispered. "The path is chosen. All is as it should be."  
  
Back in the kitchen, Connor had managed to explain that Spike was a ensouled vampire, Gunn was a regular human, that Illyria was some ancient demon trapped in a human body, and Layla...well he didn't know what Layla was, but she seemed as far from evil as one could get.  
  
Colleen, once the shock had worn off, seemed to perk up a bit, and even sighed with relief. "Whew, I thought I was going nuts," she had said. Laurence agreed. "We knew something was up with most of them, but that blue haired one...Illyria?...She made the vampire seem...well...normal!"  
  
Connor had grinned at that, but as the conversation continued his smile lessened and lessened. Now, he had to tell them the part he was really dreading. "Um, Mom...Dad ...there's more." He took a deep breath, and before they could respond, "See, well...they are going to be leaving soon...and I want to go with them."


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight  
**  
Colleen looked speechless at her son, and Laurence just sat back down. Connor didn't say a word. He knew they just needed a moment to let it sink it.  
  
Laurence looked up at his son. "What about college? What will you be doing? Why?"  
  
Connor looked at his shoes for a moment, then sat down in front of his father. "Well as for college, I can take a leave of absence for a year. I've already checked. What I'll be doing is very likely fighting demons and evil things that go bump in the night." Colleen sat down heavily, but Connor continued. "Why? Because I need to go with them. There is this whole other part of me I am just beginning to understand. I need to explore that...to learn from it."  
  
Colleen whispered, "And you can't do that here?"  
  
Connor shook his head sadly. "No Mom, I can't. I have to do this alone. I can't protect the people I love with only half the information. What if those nut jobs come back? I need to go, and find out who I am....and what I am capable of."  
  
Laurence looked at his wife resignedly. "We knew he would have to enter the big bad world someday." She nodded weakly back. He looked at his son and smiled. "But I didn't think it would be to go fight the forces of darkness."  
  
Connor looked in awe at his parents. "You mean I can go? You're ok with this?"  
  
Laurence looked thoughtfully at his son. "I don't we'll ever be a hundred percent ok with it. But we can understand it...the need to go, to prove yourself, and find your own way. Just make sure you call often, and let us know you're ok."  
  
Colleen looked tearful, but nodded. She started sniffing, "I'm sorry...but my baby is leaving home...I'm going to get a bit weepy." She leaned over, and engulfed her son in a hug.

* * *

Spike watched the sun descend from the sky in wash of pinks and purples. He took the last drag from his cigarette, and went back inside. "So whatcha up to then," he said as he sat down on the couch next to Layla. Gunn looked at the kitchen door, then back at the vampire. "Kid's telling his folks what's up...and that he wants to come with us."  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow at that, and found himself blurting, "He wants to do what?"  
  
Gunn looked at him with surprise. "Thought you'd had figured that out? He wants to get in touch with his roots, so to speak. He wants to make a difference."  
  
"He wants to make it up to Angel, you mean," Spike frowned.  
  
Gunn nodded. "That too. I say we let him. Kid's a good fighter, and god knows we need all the help we can get. What have we got to loose?"  
  
Spike sat back, and considered. Illyria, who had been sitting silently, spoke up. "It would be pleasant to my eyes to see his face. There is much we can teach him."  
  
Gunn smiled. "That's two votes."  
  
Spike looked at Layla. She was staring off into space. "So what about you then? You're part of the team now, what's your vote?" She turned, and looked at him. Spike shivered a little. He was glad no one noticed. Layla nodded in agreement with the others.  
  
Spike sighed. "Great Angel's gone, and now we got mini-Angel in his place." He sat up, and waved his hand. "Fine, Kid's in. What about his parents though? They've got a say in all of this, you know."  
  
As if in answer, the doors to the kitchen opened, and out came a happy, if emotionally drained, Connor, followed by his parents. Spike and the others stood quickly if awkwardly.  
  
Laurence smiled slightly, and put his hand on Connor's shoulder. "Take care of our boy."  
  
Gunn grinned.

* * *

Spike stood at the truck beeping the horn blaring the horn. "Come on Kid! Time's a wasting!" Layla walked over from where she was standing with Illyria and put a hand on his arm.  
  
"He is saying good bye to his family and all he knows. Give him a moment," she said. Gunn chuckled as he loaded Connor's two bags into the back of the truck, as well as some food his mother had insisted that they bring along as well. "Yeah, Blondie really knows the meaning of patience."  
  
"Sod off!" came the indignant reply directed at him from up front. Spike turned to Layla, and stepped out of the truck. "Look Angel Toes, we only got so many hours before the sun comes up, and we still need to get back to the motel and check out. Forgive me, if I feel we need to get out collected arses in gear."  
  
She smiled. "Your forgiven," she said cheekily. Spike almost dropped his cigarette he was lighting, and looked over at her. "That was rhetorical!" he said. Her smile became bigger as she leaned in till she was inches away from his face. If he breathed his breath would have been caught in the back of his throat, as it was he could feel hers on his lips. "I know," she whispered, and walked off back to Illyria. It took a moment till he found his voice again, "Right," he mumbled. "Knew that," and walked off quickly.  
  
Gunn watched the scene with interest. 'She's getting to him,' he thought. It was obvious to him, that there was something starting there, and he was curious to see where it would lead. It should be entertaining to watch, and he would place a very large bet that if anyone could tame Blondie it would be her. He closed the back of the truck, and saw Connor wave to his parents and head over. Illyria took note, and she and Layla also returned to the truck.  
  
"We ready?" Gunn asked. Connor nodded. "Right, everybody in! The Champion Express is leaving the station," he said opening the truck door. Connor groaned at the young man's comment, and got in; followed by Illyria and Layla. Gunn got in the passenger seat, and Spike slipped into the driver's.  
  
"Right!" The vampire said, "Let's get this bloody trip on the road!" He started the truck, and drove down the driveway. Connor looked out the back window, watching his home grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the night

* * *

**Ok folks! That concludes this episode...stay tuned for Episode Four: Who Watches the Watchers. Thank you for all your kind reviews and thoughts. Keep them coming!**


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